Pte
Augustine John Fehrenbach
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 28/08/1884 |
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Place of birth: Limehouse, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Profession: Store Clerk |
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Religion: Roman Catholic |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 887531 |
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Enlistment date: 15/05/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 46th Bn. (South Saskatchewan) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 33 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 28 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Augustine John Fehrenbach was the son of Johanna and Gottfreid Fehrenbach. Although his family was of German descent, Augustine was born on 28 August 1884 in Limehouse, Middlesex. Later, the family moved to Canada, where they lived in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Before the war, Augustine earned his living as a shop assistant. He enlisted in the Canadian Army on 15 May 1916. Augustine was part of the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan) (10th Canadian Brigade, 4th Canadian Division). The battalion would later earn the dubious nickname "Suicide Battalion."
On 26 October 1917, during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele, Augustine went missing. The 46th Battalion launched its attack near Keerselaarhoek and Hillside Farm in the area of Tyne Cott. Their objective was to assault the German positions near Passchendaele. The operation began at 5:40 a.m. with a barrage. Afterwards, the battalion advanced along the Passchendaele Road. The unit succeeded in reaching its objectives and began consolidating the captured positions. However, throughout the day they were harassed by snipers and machine-gun fire, including from Friesland Copse and Crest Farm. In the afternoon they also saw German troops assembling in that area for a counterattack.
The 46th Battalion had no opportunity to call for reinforcements. Moreover, the deep mud made it difficult to keep the (machine) guns operational. When the German bombardments intensified and the German troops advanced, the Canadian battalion could no longer hold out. They tried to evacuate as many wounded as possible during their retreat and settled in a shallow trench running northwest from the Passchendaele Road at Vienna Cotts. Around 6 p.m., the battalion advanced one last time and established themselves in a line of shell craters, which was taken over by the 47th Battalion around 8 p.m.
During the attack, the 46th Battalion lost about 70 percent of its strength at the outset. Many of these casualties were caused by German shelling, but their own barrage also struck a large number of their men at the beginning of the attack. Augustine went missing during the battle and was later declared killed in action. His body was not found or not identified after the war. His name is commemorated today on the Menin Gate. He was 31 years old.
On 26 October 1917, during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele, Augustine went missing. The 46th Battalion launched its attack near Keerselaarhoek and Hillside Farm in the area of Tyne Cott. Their objective was to assault the German positions near Passchendaele. The operation began at 5:40 a.m. with a barrage. Afterwards, the battalion advanced along the Passchendaele Road. The unit succeeded in reaching its objectives and began consolidating the captured positions. However, throughout the day they were harassed by snipers and machine-gun fire, including from Friesland Copse and Crest Farm. In the afternoon they also saw German troops assembling in that area for a counterattack.
The 46th Battalion had no opportunity to call for reinforcements. Moreover, the deep mud made it difficult to keep the (machine) guns operational. When the German bombardments intensified and the German troops advanced, the Canadian battalion could no longer hold out. They tried to evacuate as many wounded as possible during their retreat and settled in a shallow trench running northwest from the Passchendaele Road at Vienna Cotts. Around 6 p.m., the battalion advanced one last time and established themselves in a line of shell craters, which was taken over by the 47th Battalion around 8 p.m.
During the attack, the 46th Battalion lost about 70 percent of its strength at the outset. Many of these casualties were caused by German shelling, but their own barrage also struck a large number of their men at the beginning of the attack. Augustine went missing during the battle and was later declared killed in action. His body was not found or not identified after the war. His name is commemorated today on the Menin Gate. He was 31 years old.
Sources 5
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p. 145-146. Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3026 - 18). https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives.html Sources used |
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War diaries: 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4939, Microfilm reel number: T-10745, T-10745--T-10746, File number: 437) https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives.html Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 177). https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives.html Sources used |
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War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC): RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 67). https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives.html Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1592100 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c5c49822-a161-446d-9f42-51d5f10c4713 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5860882 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1592100 |